“A study conducted by Prof. von Eiff of University of Münster in hospitals in North Rhine Westphalia and Lower Saxony revealed that, in particular, 40% of hollow instruments released for use were not sterile (4). One reason for such problems is that the classic biological and/or well-integrated chemical indicators can attest to the sterility of supplies only at those locations at which they are positioned. But in general these indicators cannot be placed at those sites within the instrument which are most difficult to access, hence the established practice of using such indicators is not suitable for providing insights into the sterility of lumened devices.”

“Most Sharpies have not been validated for industrial usage or for use in the sterilization conditions. There are a couple of Sharpie markers that do conform to the ASTM standard D4236 which means the product has been evaluated by a toxicologist for acute and chronic toxicity and the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) identifies ingredients as presenting any chronic health hazard, along with safe use instructions. The pens that bear the AP seal with the notation “conforms to ASTM D4236″ (see right) are the markers that may be used for labeling your packages.”

Equipment must be cleaned before sterilization. Heat fixes blood fibrin to instrument surfaces, and should not be used prior to cleaning. Reprocessing should be done according to evidence based scientific recommendations.

Brian Skellie introduced STATIM autoclaves to our industry in the 1990’s, and hundreds of professionals have come to work with them over the years. Statim autoclaves have fully validated fast sterilization cycles, which makes them ideal for sterilizing jewelry and all the items as needed for each piercing as well as the routine wrapped items every studio needs. In this class we will explore how they should be handled in our daily routine.

Here is a look at a few recent piercings I performed during an exhibition for colleagues in New England. I really enjoy sharing ideas and techniques as a guest of my peers. My goal is an atraumatic aseptic technique: Primum non nocere